On Musharraf's request to keep illness confidential, Pak SC says 'there are people present with this disease'

The Chief Justice also directed Musharraf to come back to the country saying "there are good doctors here".

Image: Pervez Musharraf/ANI-Twitter

New Delhi: Pakistan former dictator Pervez Musharraf was directed to come back to the country and record his statement, by the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice Sawib Nisar’s jibe “there are good doctors in Pakistan”. Musharraf, who is facing a treason case for suspending the Constitution in 2007, has been living in Dubai since 2016. He had cited medical reasons and has not returned since then. During the hearing of the case related to National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) passed by Musharraf in 2007, his lawyer Akhtar Shah submitted his reply regarding Musharraf’s health requesting the bench to “keep the illness confidential.” Recently, Musharraf’s party  APML former chairman Muhammad Amjad had told The Dawn that  the former president of Pakistan had a fracture in his spine for which he got treated in US but nowadays he is receiving treatment for a separate ailment, which the party cannot disclose to the nation immediately but will inform the court about it. He said Musharraf has to visit London for treatment every three months due to this “new ailment.” After Shah’s request of keeping the ailment confidential Justice Nisar, however, remarked, “There are people present in the country who are suffering with this disease," news agency PTI reported. The news agency quoted Musharraf's lawyer as saying "If it is necessary for Musharraf to return then he should be allowed to visit a doctor and his name should not be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL)." To this, the chief justice assured, "Let Musharraf return to Pakistan, no one will arrest him but I cannot say anything regarding the removal of his name from ECL." A person placed in the ECL cannot leave the country. "He should record his statement under Section 342 of the criminal procedure code in the treason case," Justice Nisar said while adding that "Dubai is not the best place for treatment and there are good doctors in Pakistan". Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, has been declared a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case and the Red Mosque cleric killing case. In March 2014, Musharraf was charged with suspending the Constitution on November 3, 2007. He, however, left the country in the year 2016 and since then has been declared a proclaimed offender. A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.